I take a slow breath.
“With Alexander—I can’t even think straight most of the time. There was always this inexplicable...connectionbetween us. I remember asking myself if I’d met him before, because it felt like I already knew him. But...”
I smile, remembering our first real meeting.
“But he’s not the kind of man you meet and forget,” Felicity murmurs, as if reading my thoughts.
“No, he’s not,” I whisper. “He has this presence—calm, yet overwhelming. And whenever we talk, whether it’s on the phone or in person, I feel this certainty that I could tell him anything.When it’s just the two of us, everything else disappears. And it’s not a one-time, movie-moment thing. It’s always like that.” I swallow. “Just the two of us... no matter where we are.”
I stare at my hands clasped in my lap. “I don’t think what I feel for him is going to fade into embers. I think it’s a flame that’s only going to grow stronger with time.” I lift my gaze to hers. “What if I get burned?”
I exhale slowly. “Don’t you think it’s... crazy? Even considering building something new with Alexander after everything that happened?” My voice falters. “If I was betrayed by someone I trusted for years, why wouldn’t it happen again with someone who’s only just come into my life? And then there’s the distance, which doesn’t exactly help.”
And all his trips.The thought slips in uninvited.
Felicity tilts her head, studying me. “What do you think is crazier, starting something new while afraid of betrayal... or going back to the person who already betrayed you, hoping this time will be different?”
I part my lips to answer and then stop.
“You know what both of those choices have in common?” she continues, holding my gaze. “You have to know what you want. And you have to be willing to trust—but only if the extent of his betrayal is something you can forgive, or if he’s proven he’s worthy of that trust. After that, all you can do is take it little by little. Don’t spiral into every possible tragedy.” She squeezes my hand. “You don’t have to have your whole life mapped out right now.”
“But how do I know I’m ready?” I whisper. “And that it’s not just emotion and chemistry being louder than reason?”
She looks away for a second, as if searching for the right words, then meets my eyes again.
“You know what I’ve learned?” she says. “The world is full of people ready to tell you what’s right or wrong, people who thinkthey know what’s best for you better than you ever could. They’re quick to judge, even when they’ve never walked in your shoes. But only you are living your life. And sometimes the only way to know if you’re ready... is to try.”
I feel a weight shifting off my chest.
“I told Caroline the other day that sometimes I feel so lost it’s hard to even recognize myself.”
Felicity’s smile is knowing. “Want to hear a secret? Most people are a little lost. Some of us just fake being put together better than others. That’s why I pay more attention to what peopledothan to what they say.”
I squint at her, amused. “How can you be so wise one moment and so unhinged the next?”
She snorts. “Because I’m five years older than you and I’ve already lived about three lifetimes compared to most people my age. The trick is not treating age like a prison sentence. Just because I’m forty-three doesn’t mean I’m about to turn into some delicate little old lady.”
She flashes a grin.
“Times have changed. I can wear denim shorts, red lipstick, and still hand out life advice like candy.”
We’re still laughing when hurried footsteps sound down the hallway. We barely have time to react before Harper appears in the doorway.
Her eyes are swollen. Her clothes—sweatpants, a wrinkled T-shirt, and a cardigan thrown on—are such a contrast to the always put-together version of her I’m used to that the laughter dies in our throats.
She looks at Felicity, then at me, and she freezes.
“Oh... I didn’t realize you had company. Charlotte opened the door for me and just said you were here,” Harper murmurs, as she takes a step back. “I’ll come back another time.”
She turns to leave.
I’m already on my feet. “Harper—wait. You can stay. You clearly came for a reason.” I offer a reassuring smile. “We were just about to wrap things up anyway.”
I reach for my purse, turning toward Felicity to say goodbye, when I feel a light touch on my shoulder.
“Y-you can stay,” Harper says, her eyes brimming with fresh tears. “I owe you an apology.”
Her voice wavers. “I was... proud. And I was horrible for not reaching out again.”
